We’ve all been there: a long layover before us, no interest in eating airport food or shopping, seemingly little to do before that next flight, and an overwhelming desire to get a private room, shut the door to everyone, lie down for a nap, and freshen up with a shower. Meet the transit hotel.
Transit hotels are a specific type of hotel that cater to travellers at the airport and between flights. Often located inside Security and intended for travellers in transit between international locales, transit hotels differ from traditional hotels. Guests can usually check in for just a few hours, day or night, instead of paying for a whole overnight stay. Rooms in transit hotels sometimes look like we expect: a bed, TV, desk, and WiFi, with a private ensuite bathroom. More affordable options are springing up, too, taking inspiration from the Japanese capsule hotel. Either way, transit hotels offer the benefits of getting a nap and (usually) a shower in the middle of a long journey without having to exit Security and Immigration. Here are a few airports with transit hotels:
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) – Mercure Schiphol Terminal, YotelAir
- Bahrain (BAH) – Bahrain Airport Hotel
- Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – Miracle Transit Hotel
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Minute Suites
- Doha (DOH) – Oryx Airport Hotel, Sleep n’ Fly
- Dubai (DXB) – Dubai International Hotel, Sleep n’ Fly
- Frankfurt (FRA) – My Cloud Transit
- Houston Intercontinental (IAH) – Minute Suites
- Istanbul (IST) – Yotel
- Jeddah (JED) – Aerotel Transit Hotel
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) – Sama Sama Express KLIA, Sama Sama Express KLIA2, Capsule Transit
- Muscat (MCT) – Aerotel Muscat
- New Delhi (DEL) – Holiday Inn Express New Delhi International Airport
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) – YotelAir
- Tokyo Narita (NRT) – Day Rooms
- Rio de Janeiro Galeão (GIG) – Aerotel
- São Paulo Guarulhos – Tryp by Wyndham São Paulo Guarulhos Airport
- Seoul Incheon (ICN) – Incheon Transit Hotel
- Sharjah (SHJ) – Airport Transit Hotel
- Singapore Changi (SIN) – Aerotel Transit Hotel & Ambassador Transit Hotel
- Zurich (ZRH) – Transit Hotel